


No Grave But The Sea

by LittleMissSadist



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Kidnapped John, Love/Hate, M/M, Murder, Rope Bondage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-10 08:15:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissSadist/pseuds/LittleMissSadist
Summary: AU - John's military ship is over thrown by pirates. Being the only survivor with a purpose he is abducted and taken aboard the enemy ship





	1. Nothing Ever Happens To Me

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea after going on a pirate ship when I went on holiday. Things may get a bit brutal...  
> And yes the title is an Alestorm song

Screams echoed through his mind. Memories of the men bleeding out, their intestines spilling out of their widely sliced open stomachs. Men with parts of their heads missing and their brain poking through their skulls.

"WATSON!" A voice called.

He gasped and looked over at the figure standing by the door.

"Are you trying to scrub your skin off yours hands as well as the paitient's blood?"

He sighed and turned the tap off.

"It never stops." He mumbled. "No matter how hard I try, no matter how many I save, there will always be more who die."

"It's not your fault, John." The female said, stroking his face. "You are a great doctor. It's just... not everyone can be saved."

"I hate this, Mary." He mumbled. "You shouldn't even be out here. If they find out you're -"

"I've been in disguise for the past year and a half and no one has noticed I'm a women... well except you."

"You didn't fool me for a second." John smiled, leaning in to kiss her.

"Although, people might start asking questions if we don't start shutting the door." Mary laughed, closing the small bathroom door. "Look, we're almost back at England now, as soon as we leave this ship, it's all over. No more pretending, no more hiding. We can have a life. A family." She smiled, holding onto her stomach.

"You're not -"

"Yes." She said, biting her lower lip.

John smiled and kissed her lips, cupping her face in his hands.

A sudden expolsive sound and violent shake of the boat broke the two of them apart.

"What the Hell was that?!" John shouted.

"Probably Anderson getting cocky with the pistol again." Mary said.

"No, that was no a pistol." John muttered.

The sound of screams and guns firing could be heard above deck.

"We're under attack." Mary gasped.

"Go."

"What?"

"Go, hide. Now!" John shouted, pulling his gun out.

Mary looked at him and shook her head.

"That's an order!"

"I won't leave you to fight on your own."

"Mary, you are pregant. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger!"

"And I'm not going to let the father of my child get himself killed!" She cried.

Suddenly, the gun fire stopped. The ship fell silent.

"Maybe, they're gone." Mary whispered, quietly opening the door.

"What are you doing?" John hissed.

Mary looked out of the door, checking for any signs of life.

"There's no one here." She said.

"We can't stay here." John whispered. "If those... whatever they are that attacked us, are still here, we are not safe."

"I need my gun." Mary said.

"You're not leaving!" John snapped, grabbing onto her wrist.

"I can take care of myself." She spat, forcing her arm out of his tight grasp.

John sighed knowing he couldn't stop her. Even though it was one of the things that annoyed him, it was also one of the many reasons why he loved her.

The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard running closer to where John was hiding. He held his gun tighter, ready for whoever it was.

"No!" A male voice screamed. "P- please, I - I - I don't have a lot. J- just take my pocket watch, it's worth at least -"

The man's please were suddenly silenced.

John swollowed hearing the sound of a blade cutting deep into the victim's flesh.

He wanted to run out to find Mary, but he knew the intruders would only kill him immediantly. He knew it wouldn't be long before they found her too.

"Captain, there is no one else on board. I think we got them all." A man said.

"No." A deeper voice said.

His footsteps could be heard coming closer towards the room where John was.

He quickly looked around trying to find a safe place to hide. He saw a small wardrobe behind him. John sighed and took his chance, quickly climbing inside. He quietly shut the door behind him and steadied his breathing. At least if they were in here, Mary would be safe.

He looked through the small gaps in the door seeing a tall, thin figure walk inside.

"There's no one here, Captain." The second man.

"Pirates." John whispered.

The Captain looked towards the locker and pulled out his blood soaked cutlass.

John placed his finger on the trigger ready to shoot.

"Captain, we found another one!" A loud voice called above deck.

The two pirates left the room and ran towards the voice.

John drew out a deep breath.

"Mary." He gasped, kicked the door open and ran out of the small bathroom.

He turned the corner but froze coming to face the Captain.

"There you are." He smiled, placing his cutlass under John's chin. "I knew there was someone hiding in there."

"What are you waiting for?" John spat.

"Fascinating. Out of everyone I have slaughtered on this ship, you seem the most calm. So... unafraid."

"I'm not afraid of a coward who thinks holding a sword makes him terrifying. I've faced the worst human beings in existence, there is nothing you can do to scare me."

"Is that a challenge... doctor. Yes, you're an army doctor. I could do with someone like you." The Captain said, placing his cutlass away.

"Then you might as well kill me. Because there is no way in Hell I am going with you."

"No doctor. You are far too valuable to kill." He smirked.

A pair of hands grabbed onto John from behind.

"Let me go!" He yelled.

The taller pirate held John's arms behind his back and began tying a peice of thick rope around his wrists.

"NO! Get off!" He struggled against the man's harsh grasp.

"Tighter, Lestrade. I don't want this one escaping."

"Aye Captain." He said, tightening the knot. 

"Captain! We have to leave." A young boy cried, running towards them. He was only a child, short blond curls and rosie cheeks. The look of a innocent little boy. "Wiggins set a fire at the left side of the ship. We have less than five minutes before it spreads."

"That idiot!" The Captain hissed.

"That's Mary's -"

John tried to force his way out of the pirate's tough grip but to no avail.

"We leave. Now!" The Captain commanded.

"Aye." The young pirate boy nodded. "Wiggins! It's now or never."

"No! Get off me!" John screamed. "I will not go with you!"

He was dragged up the stairs followed by the young boy and a tall, thin man who he presumed to be 'Wiggins'.

"You had one job, Wiggy!" The Captain snapped, walking towards the plank of wood that connected a large ship to the military vessel.

"It was an accident. My hand slipped." The tall man said pathetically.

"Then maybe I should cut it off to prevent further accidents!" He hissed, whipping out his sharp sword.

"Sorry Captain." He mumbled, placing his hands in his pockets.

The Captain nodded and put his sword away.

"Do you like the new decorations, doctor?" He asked.

John looked up at to where the pirate was indicating.

"NO!!" John yelled, feeling a mix of anger and sorrow fill his heart. "Why would you-" His voice cracked, seeing the severed heads of many soldiers and his friends were impaled on spikes around the ship. But the one that hit him the hardest was the one of the woman he loved.

He had seen many grizzly sights during his time at war. Many friends and loved ones he'd seen blown to peices and parts of their body missing. But seeing Mary's head carelessly sliced through a metal rod pushed him over the edge.

He use all of his strength fight his way out of the tight rope. Wiggins held him back, helping Lestrade to keep him restrained.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!" John yelled. "YOU'RE DEAD! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"I'd like to see you try." The Captain smirked, walking across the plank and onto his ship.

The other pirates quickly ran onto their ship and left the burning miliatry vessel behind.


	2. Why Me?

John watched as the ship burned, knowing there was nothing he could do to change what happened. Tears of rage stung his eyes like acid burning its way down his cheeks. 

"Why me?" John mumbled. "Why kill everyone but me?"

"I gave an order to take anyone with a use. Seems like you were the only one worth living." The Captain said.

"You can't decide who lives or dies! Just because you think someone doesn't have a purpose doesn't mean they deserve to die!"

"You've killed people." He shrugged. "You decided to end someone's existance."

"In self defence!" John yelled. "You attacked us! You murdered innocent people." 

"The gave me no choice." The pirate mumbled. "Lestrade, take our new friend below deck." 

"Aye Captain." He nodded, dragging John away from the burning wreck, shrinking in the distance.

"How can you follow a monster like him?" John hissed, trying to hide the rest of his tears.

"Oh well... he's not all bad. You'll find he can be very... well... not so bad." Lestrade said, struggling to find the right words. "At the end of the day I owe him a lot. He got my off a murder charge. Well he killed the executioner and saved me from getting hanged so I still have a bounty on my head."

"So in other words he doomed you all over again?"

"Pretty much, but I'm alive because of him." He smiled, opening a wooden door.

The familiar stentch of death poured out, John looked over at the two bodies lying on the floor. 

A young woman knelt over one of them, putting a dirty rag over his face.

"Oh no, not Hopper." Lestrade mumbled. 

"I'm sorry Greg, but if it helps he wouldn't have felt anything. He passed away in his sleep."

"Damn. Thanks for trying, Molly." He said. "And what about Hills?" He asked, looking over at the overweight man next to Hopper.

"Passed out after I cleaned his wound. But his breathing is still steady. Still don't like the look of his infection though."

"Well that's what we have a doctor for." Lestrade said, untying the sharp rope around John's wrists. "You know what to do from here." He said, leaving the room. 

John hissed and rubbed his bleeding wrists.

"Here, let me get that." Molly said, picking up a wooden box and walking over to John.

They both sat down at the other end of the room away from the corpses. 

"So, what purpose do you have then?" John asked. "Or does the Captain just like a pretty face?"

"What?" She frowned.

"Apparently everyone deserves to die if they are of no use to him." He spat.

"For your information he saved me." Molly said, starting to clean John's wounds. 

"Oh, so he stopped you getting hanged to then?" 

"No, no, nothing like that." She laughed, wrapping a clean rag over his wrist. "I was actually a servant to a Lord. He... _mistreated_ me and one night pirates invaded the land and well... Sher... I mean the Captain found me and well, here I am. Also I'm trained with helping the treating of wounds but I'm no doctor. I mostly know a lot out post mortems."

"A woman trained in -"

"Yes I know." She sighed. "You're not the first to think it strange. But my dad taught me everything he knew. After he passed I took all of his anatomy books and sort of taught myself. But then I was kidnapped and forced into slavery. Lord Karl. Fithly scum." She hissed. "He got what he deserved." 

"And you willingly went with the pirate who murdered your master?"

"He offered me a choice. Either go with him or run." 

"No regrets?"

"None whatsoever." Molly smiled. "He is good to me. He's given me place on his ship where I do what I like to do and my own private bed. If I wasn't here I'd probably be a slave again, or dead, or... worse." She muttered.

"So it's just my life he's made a misery then?"

"He's not all bad. I'm sure you'll warm up to him."

"Ha, warm up?" He snarled. "He murdered my friends and the love of my life. SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH MY CHILD AND HE SLICED HER HEAD OFF AND PUT IT ON A SPIKE!!" John yelled. "I will make that bastard pay for what he's done."

Molly sighed and finished dressing John's wrist.

"You can do your other wrist." Molly said, throwing the spare rag on the next to John. "I have body to get rid of."

"Quick to defend him aren't you?" He asked.

Molly walked over to the corpse and started dragging him towards the door.

"When you're done, there's a patient who needs your assistance." She nodded over at the second body. "I'll be back in a bit."


	3. Fire and Blood

John finished covering his bleeding wrist. He stood up and walked over to the body. A horrid stench came from the older man, John thought he was already dead. He pulled the stained cloth off his body and gagged seeing the large infected gash on the man's tigh. Dried puss and thick black ooze covered almost all of his moulding looking leg.

Molly walked back into the room and closed the door behind her.

"What happened to him?" John asked.

"Accident." Molly shurgged. 

"Accident?!" John shouted. "THIS was no accident."

"It was a practice session that went wrong. Besides it's not as if Archie meant to hit him."

"Jesus." John mumbled, recognising she was on about the kid. "How long has he been like this?"

"About a week... week and a half maybe." Molly answered. "I lost count."

"Right well, he can't stay like this."

"No shit." The older man grumbled, waking up from his sleep. "I can tell my leg is fucked thank you very much. Wait, who the fuck is this?

"Please try to calm down, Cal. This man is a doctor, he can help you."

"Doctor? You mean, you can fix my leg?" He grinned.

John was silent for a moment.

"Define _'fix'_." He said.

"You know, make this goo go away so I can walk again."

"Ok." John sighed. "This isn't going to be easy but... your leg is severely infected. I need to amputate it, like... right now. I'm going to need the sharpest tool on this ship and a heated plate so I can cauterise the wound."

"English you fucking moron, not all of us speak doctor talk." Cal snapped.

"I'm going to cut your leg off and then burn what's left of it." John said.

"Thank you. Jeez was that so har- wait you're going to do what?" 

**

"Is Cal going to die because of me, Captain?" Archie asked quietly.

"Possibly." He replied.

"I'm sorry."

The Captain knelt down in front of the young child and grabbed onto his wrists making him tense up.

"Never be sorry." He said. "If his death is caused by a child then he deserved it. But on the bright side, that makes you my new master gunner." He smiled, standing up.

"Wow, thank you Captain!" Archie grinned. "Um, what does that mean?"

"It means you are in charge of the guns, cannons and making sure we have enough weaponry supplies and of course, making sure they are good for future use."

"Am I ready for that, Captain?"

"You have to be. You pretty much killed the last one."

"Oh." He mumbled, looking down.

"Speaking of which I should probably go down see how our new doctor is doing. Now, Archie, to work."

"Aye, aye Captain." He smiled, running out of the small room.

**

"NO YOU ARE NOT CUTTING IT OFF?!" Cal yelled.

"If I don't then you'll die slowly from the infection." John said, struggling to keep the older man down on the floor.

"I'll be dead before you cripple me."

"You're already crippled. You'll never be able to walk with that leg anyway."

"What's going on in here?" The Captain asked, bursting into the room.

"This lunatic is going to cut my leg off!" Cal shouted.

"It's the only way to save him." John explained.

"I see." The Captain said, taking out his pistol and shooting Cal in the head.

John jumped back from the body, almost shocked at what just happened.

"There. Done you're job for you doctor." 

"You bastard why?!" John cried. "He could have lived."

"And then what?" The Captain asked, putting his gun away. "Have a one legged man hopping around the ship? Or stick a plank of wood in place of where his leg was? Don't be absurd, he would have been useless."

"You have no right to decide that you cold hearted cunt!"

The Captain grabbed onto John's throat and forced him up against the wall. The doctor choked, trying to push the taller man's hand off him.

"If you ever talk to me like that again I will break your neck, do you understand?"

John spat in his face. 

"You murdered everyone I ever cared about, and now here I am trying to help your crew and you kill them anyway. You're a monster."

"Molly, leave us." The Captain growled, wiping away the saliva from his cheek. "Make sure no one disturbs us."

"Aye, Captain." She nodded, quickly running out of the room.

"You've got everyone on your side here." John said. "They see you as a hero for helping them, but really you've just enslaved them."

The pirate tightened his grip making John gasp.

"You've got spirit soldier, I admire that. But one thing I will not stand for is ungratefulness. You have a job on this ship like everyone else. You live because I allow it. I could have left you behind to burn like the others, but no, you lived."

"There were many good people on that ship." John snapped. "Why kill them and not me?" 

The Captain released his grip on the doctor, allowing him to fall to the floor.

John took in a deep breath and rubbed his neck.

"It wasn't meant to go like that. They should have surrendered. Normally they do. But they attacked us."

"YOU attacked us. We defended ourselves!" John tried to shout but his throat hurt too much. "But you didn't have to kill... her." He mumbled.

"I didn't. Decapitation isn't really my thing, I prefer a quick cut to the throat or a gun shot to the head."

"Yeah, like I believe you." He snarled.

"Believe what you want, it is irrelevant to me. Just know that I never specified to kill anyone, just to take what we needed." 

"Go to Hell." 

"Captain!" Lestrade shouted, running into the room.

"WHAT?!" He yelled.

"It's... a ship... we... it - it's"

"If it's in our way blow it to pieces."

"Um, it's not..."

"Spit it out already!" 

"It's your brother."

"Oh for-" The Captain growled. "Lestrade, put the doctor in the dungeon, I'll deal with him later."

"What? No you can't do this!" John cried. 

"Gag him as well. I've heard enough of him questioning my orders." The Captain said, leaving the room. 


	4. Come Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while, trying to balance work and home life can be a hassle. I'll try to upload the next chapter soon.

His crystal eyes were focused on the large white ship in front of him. The sails fluttered in the cool ocean breeze. The pirate took in a deep breath and approached the wooden bridge that joined the two ships together. A tall, wrinkled man greeted him as he boarded the posh looking ship.

"Your brother awaits you in his quarters, Sir." The well spoken man said.

"That's 'Captain' not 'Sir'. And I know very well where that hog is!" The Captain snapped. "He better have a good explanation for disturbing me." He grumbled, making his way to the wooden door at the other end of the ship.

The pirate pushed the door opened and slammed it shut. 

"Five months!" He shouted. "Five months of peace is all you are able to offer me!" He yelled at the man sitting at the desk at the end of the room.

"And it good to see you too, Sherlock." The older looking man said. 

"DON'T. CALL. ME. THAT!" The Captain yelled. 

"I will call you whatever I please, brother mine." He snarled. "Anyway." He said, calming down. "You are to return home immediately."

"Ha! I don't think so. I've been at sea for over ten years now, there's no way I'm returning."

"A military ship has gone missing. You are the prime suspect. Sherlock, please, tell me you had nothing to do with it." 

"I had nothing to do with it." He shurgged. "If that would be all Mycroft, I really need to -"

"Don't lie to me!" Mycroft shouted. "I know when you're lying."

"What do you want me to say?" He asked. "Fine, yes, I attacked the military ship. Killed a few people and took one hostage. I plan to do it again and again because I'm a pirate and it's what I do. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Oh Sherlock." Mycroft sighed. "Why don't you just give up this silly game already?"

"This is my life now, Mycroft. Like it or not I will never return to London. They want me dead, is that what you want too?"

"Of course not!" The older brother snapped. "In fact that's why I'm here." He said, handing the younger man a piece of paper.

"What is this?" He asked, snatching the parchment.

"The best offer you're ever going to get." Mycroft answered. "If you return to London before the end of the month you will pardoned and this horrid life you are living will be forgotten."

The pirate laughed. "And if I refuse? Which I do by the way."

"Then you will give me no choice. You will be forced back to London and hanged for your crimes."

The captain smiled and leaned in towards his brother.

"Well then... get on with it. Take me by force right now."

"Sherlock, please don't make me do this."

"Do what? You won't do anything." He laughed. "See you around, brother mine." He said, leaving the small office like room.

Mycroft sighed, staring at the closed door.

"Goodbye, brother mine."

**

"Come on, please don't do this!" John begged, as he was shoved into a cage at the bottom of the ship.

"I'm sorry, but... Captain's orders."

"Greg right? You're name is Greg?" John asked. "Please, you seem like a reasonable man, don't do this to me. Just let me go. I can make it look like I overpowered you and no one will know."

"I can't." He mumbled. "I'd love to help you but the Captain will find out. Trust me, you think you've seen him angry now? You haven't seen the worst of him."

"That bastard just tried to strangle me!" John shouted. 

 "Only strangle? Trust me, that's him being kind." Greg said, grabbing onto John's wrists and pulling his arms above his head.

"Please don't! Just let me go, please." 

"I wish I could." Greg sighed, locking the shackles attached to the top of the cage, around his wrists.

"Ah!" He cried out, feeling the sharp metal digging into his wounded flesh.

"I'm sorry, but if you want my advice, don't piss the Captain off again. You'll find he can be very generous if you just get to know him. I mean, anything is better than being treated like this. He let you live, that's a good sign. Normally people who anger him like you have end up dead, but you're still here."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm thinking death would be a blessing right now." John hissed.

"I really am sorry about this." Greg sighed, pulling out a black cloth from his pocket. "Try to make it easier on yourself, I don't want to hurt you." 

He tied a knot in the middle of the cloth and slowly approached John. 

"NO! Please don't!" John cried. "I promise I'll be quiet!"

"I can't take that chance." Greg said, quickly placing the gag into John's mouth. 

"Mmph!" John moaned, as the cloth was tied around the back of his head. 

Greg stepped out of the cage and locked the door behind him. 

"The moment you are freed from here, try not to anger the Captain again. This really is him being kind."

John watched as the pirate left the dungeon like room. There were three other cages near him, one imprisoning a small shadow. John looked away, trying to ignore it. 

' _Poor sod is probably dead.'_ He thought.

"It's not often I get company down here." A voice spoke.

John quickly turned to the shadow, his eyes widening as it slowly stood up. 

"Well now, isn't this a treat?" The figured grinned.


End file.
